Remember when the drama happened in the wrestling ring and not behind the scenes? It’s also interesting to note that much like television or the movies, what happens behind the scenes is usually more entertaining than what we see. One of those instances is how the WWE and the Revival trademark battle rages on.
When we hear about contracts ending we think it’s a simple case of the talent taking their skills elsewhere and that’s that. For years, it seemed that simple. We saw stars like Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage keep their WWE nicknames because they were big enough they could buy the rights to them from Vince McMahon. Now, in McMahon and the WWE’s efforts to monopolize the professional wrestling industry, trademark battles are the norm. Just ask Ryback.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsfUhx_BAmA&t=10s
The Revival strike first
For months we’ve been hearing about the WWE making significant offer after offer and being turned down each time pointed to the Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) leaving for greener pastures. Many, myself included, are anxiously awaiting for their WWE contract to expire and they make the jump to AEW (All Elite Wrestling).
On January 7 and 8, 2020, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder filed trademarks for “#FTRKO” and their finisher, “Shatter Machine.”
The latter, more than anything, seemed to point to their intent to leave the WWE for the creative freedom they’ve been refused so far. It’s important to note that they each turned down close to a million dollars each (roughly double what they currently make) so they could find their creative freedom.
With the Revival intent on leaving, things would get serious over the next month.
WWE counters
For the most part, the Revival became jobbers and took part in some of the worst gimmick matches around. Many of us looked at it as WEE’s way of showing them how easily they could make or break the tag team, but they didn’t have to look further than Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.
Vince McMahon hasn’t taken the tag team division seriously for some time, and “punishing” them by giving them goofy matches wasn’t a good way to help them decide to stay. If anything, it would seem like it would do more to push them out the door, which brings up the thought that McMahon was trying to lower their stock so other promotions wouldn’t be interested. Kinda similar to how it appears he’s treated stars he signed from other promotions over the years to keep threats at bay.
But as in all sports, it seems it’s forgotten that there’s film of the Revival’s matches, as well as friendships and relationship they’ve built with others over the years. When they leave, they’re not going to be cast aside like they’ve been in the WWE.
The trademark battle intensifies
Wrestlinginc.com reported that on February 18, the Revival trademarked “No Flips, Just Flips,” “Top Guys,” and “Say Yeah.”
The on February 24, the WWE filed a trademark on “No Flips Just Fists” in an attempt to block Wilder and Dawson’s trademark, so this could end up going to court with comma usage being the potential key and point of contention.
The WWE also filed a trademark for “The Mechanics,” the name Dawson and Wilder used in NXT before moving to the main roster and becoming the Revival.
Bring back the old days
The entire situation with wrestlers having to trademark their names and gimmicks has gotten out of hand, and Jim Cornette agrees.
As Cornette pointed out, it would benefit professional wrestling if we went back to where the wrestlers owned their names and gimmicks and went from promotion to promotion. By giving them the freedom they desire, they’d be willing to come back to work there again in the future.
Plus, it’d save fans the hassle of having to remember thirty different names for wrestlers that move around. It’s nothing more than McMahon wanting to own everything, and his approach is strangling the business he claims to love.
We’ve seen more and more wrestlers ask for their release from the WWE and fans have been leaving the WWE for other promotions that actually listen to our cheers and react accordingly instead of shoving the owner’s preferred storyline down our throats..
What really shows how many are treated for wanting their creative freedom, the Revival have been pulled from WWE television and reportedly from live events as well. It’s been reported that doing this means the WWE doesn’t have to pay them anymore as the Revival has reportedly been paid their contract’s worth, meaning no bonuses for performing.
Nothing like strangling something you love until it dies. Guess that’s one way to go down as the most powerful/influential promoter in wrestling history.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get TheOvertimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
